Pickleball continues to grow in Green River

The Green River Wyoming Pickleball Club was officially started on January 1 of this year, although they were an informal group for over a year before Michael Chaffin stepped up to organize the club. Their mission statement is to strive to create fun, friendship and fitness through their shared enjoyment of the sport of pickleball.

The Green River Wyoming Pickleball Club has already grown to 54 members since starting their club. Becoming member costs $25 per calendar year. Tournaments are scheduled for the last Saturday of each month and are open to anyone that would like to compete. Members pay $10 per tournament and non-members pay $20.

The group is a non-profit organization and has received a $10,000 grant from the Sweetwater County School District No. 2 Rec Mill Board that will help the club to enhance the Edgewater Park tennis courts, adding two more courts. With the funds, they will also be able to put up a wind barrier in the park and purchase new equipment. They play seven days a week, with time slots at the Green River Recreation Center Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday they have drop-in times from 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. The club has classes for beginners that would like to learn the sport on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m. Instructors include Randy Walker, Bill Smith and Steve Ferguson.

The Green River Wyoming Pickleball Club had a tournament on March 25 at the Green River Recreation Center. The results for beginners were Terrie Thomas in first, Sandy Owens in second and Jennie Fisher in third. Intermediate winners were first-place Tracy McCann, second-place Lewis Duke and third-place Heidi Jensen. Advanced results saw first-place finisher Travis Harper, second-place Brayden Floack and third-place Bill Smith.

The generous donors that have helped with making the tournaments possible are Red White Buffalo, Hitching Post, Ace Hardware in Green River, Don Pedro's, Sweetwater Trophies and Randy Walker. The Green River Parks and Recreation Department personnel have gone above and beyond to help the club to continue and grow.